The recent rise in the popularity of the fantasy genre in literary works, television, and films have brought about an attendant rise in the demand for weaponry seen in such works. These types of weaponry are often carried by fans of the genre to gatherings such as renaissance faires (RenFaires), comic conventions (ComicCons), or costume play (CosPlay) events. The most popular form of such weaponry involve bladed instruments such as longswords, broadswords, and sabers. Since public venues and events often ban steel or other metallic weaponry for public safety concerns, a popular alternative is to choose swords made of polymeric materials such as polyethylene (PE) or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA). However such swords often lack the look and feel of their authentic counterparts and are prone to tears, bends, or breaks.
Moreover, enthusiasts of combat sports such as fencing, wushu, and kendo are frequently in need of practice instruments that can mimic the weight and durability of real swords. While polymeric swords offer a safer surrogate to metallic instruments, most polymeric swords sold in the market today bend or break upon repeated impact. In addition, wielding such polymeric swords often leaves much to be desired as the weight of these swords tend to belie their decorative authenticity. Therefore, there is a need for a polymeric sword that can withstand the rigors of actual sword play but still offer the look and feel of a metallic arm.